Why I can’t get a job, and perhaps a glimmer of hope

So, first of all, I’ve come to the realization that I just can’t do these blogs as often as I’d like until I find a job. The news is too depressing, I’m too depressed, and despite the fact that writing does make me happier, I just lack the energy to do it on a consistent basis. That being said, I’ll do my best to at least keep them somewhat up to date, and post more regularly than I have this year. And when I do get a job, and my mental health back shortly thereafter, look out, because there is a LOT of things I’ve just been itching to write about.

This week started out very poorly on the job front. Got a call first thing Monday morning from 9-1-1, informing me that, yet again, I was being turned down for that job. This time, I wasn’t tactful enough in the interview. You have no idea how much I wanted to show them an utter lack of tact on that phone call. I managed not to even utter my famous “tact is for people who aren’t witty enough to be sarcastic” line, and simply thanked them and moved along. I still have a couple other 9-1-1 dispatch jobs in the pipeline, but I think I’m done with Eugene. It’s a great job, but I’m now 0-6 on dispatch jobs (Eugene-2, Springfield-3, and U of O-1), so I’m thinking for whatever reason, it just isn’t for me.

However, as far as the job search goes, despite the inauspicious beginning to the week, this has actually been a pretty good week. Two more interviews this week for jobs with DHS. I’m 0-4 with them on interviews so far, but hopefully the 5th or 6th time is a charm. The one today was my first “group” interview with them, and it truly showed me why I don’t have a job yet. I think I’m a highly attractive candidate when it comes to most jobs. I have a college degree, went to Law School, volunteer in the community and with kids, worked my last job for 16 years (only missing one day of work in that time), and am smart and well spoken. So, we do the interview, and each person gets a chance to give a little 5-minute presentation on why they want the job, and why they should be the one to get it.

So, lets look at my qualifications: College degree and some law school… The woman on my right starts out with, “I have a J.D. from Whittier Law School…” Are you fucking kidding me? The economy is so bad that an actual lawyer is applying for an entry level social service job?

Next up, my volunteer work with kids: Girl next to the lawyer, “After I got my degree in Psychology from the U of O, I worked in Americorps, then came home and ran a Big Brother/Big Sister program. I also founded a group to work with developmentally disabled children, and started a youth mentorship program for minority kids.”

Now, granted, there were a couple of loser candidates too, with the girl from Taco Bell and the guy from Best Buy, but I went in expecting to be one of the most qualified, and left thinking that I honestly was about the 4th best candidate out of the 10 in the room. And I don’t sell myself short. I’m pretty honest about my chances, both good and bad, in almost any situation. Seriously, a fucking lawyer. Wow. I now see why I can’t find work.

I have another interview with them tomorrow, this time a solo shot, but after today, I’m not feeling the most confident with my prospects.

However, the good news kept coming on the job front. First, the best news of all. After two years, I finally have my TSA interview scheduled at the airport. This was the first job I applied for after losing my job, and still the one I want more than anything else. If I get this gig, I seriously see myself working for Homeland Security in some capacity for the next 25 years.

My fear right now is that I wait all this time, and screw it up when I finally get my chance. I keep thinking of the scene in Princess Bride where Inigo Montoya finally chases down the six-fingered man, and gets stabbed in the chest. (I do realize that Inigo ends up recovering from that and killing the guy, but it’s the line the guy says just before that that runs through my head, “Have you been chasing me your whole life only to fail now?”) I think it would just about break me if I spent all this time trying to get into that job, only to fail at the last minute.

The interview is October 11th, wish me luck.

I also got moved along in the process with Royal Caribbean and with Lane County Sheriff this week, so it has been quite a good week. Once again though, none of this means much if I can’t actually get HIRED by one of these people. In the meantime, I just keep applying.

The LCS position was an interesting one. Do you remember the college admissions process? You send in your application, wait a few weeks, and if you get a BIG envelope in the mail, it’s GOOD NEWS!!! If you get the thin little one page envelope in the mail, it’s baaaaaad news. Well, pretty much the same thing in the employment world of today, except that good news comes in the form of a phone call, and bad news still comes in the form of a thin little envelope. I’ve gotten a LOT of those thin envelopes over the past two years. More than one of them with LCS. So I get a thin envelope from them on Wednesday, and think, “Great, yet another denial.” But amazingly enough, I open it up, and they sent a letter telling me that I was moving on in the process. Quite the pleasant surprise.

I don’t have a whole lot of other news to report. It’s all about job stuff, which bores the heck out of most of you I’m sure. But I wanted to keep you all informed about what’s been going on in that arena. Lots of interviews lately, lots of chances, lots of close calls, but no jobs yet. I’m down but hopeful. If the TSA gig comes through, this whole process will have been worth it.

Thank you all for being there for me. I promise to return the favor when I’m able.